We talk a lot about ensuring your first interaction with a potential listener is the best it can possibly be, and in doing so have discovered an area that frustrates more people than it ever aides: Buzzwords.
We’ve all been there: You want to know more about an artist or product, but every description and review you read seems to sounds exactly the same. No part of Non-descriptive words and phrases like “awesome” or “game-changing” inform the consumer about what it is you are trying to sell them and after all, that is what you’re trying to accomplish at the end of the day. You want them to want your product and you want to stand out from every other competitor vying for their attention, so why limit yourself to the same tired terminology your grandfather used when presenting against Don Draper back in 60s?
Once our list of ‘Social Media No-nos’ went live, a number of clients and media friends began reaching out to express their recommendations for future columns. One of the most requested was, by far, a list of buzz word and phrases that should never be used when attempting to pitch your band or release. Some of them are probably painfully familiar, while others may simply be too vague to offer much, if any, insight. Either way, make a note today to erase the following words and phrases from your press kits moving forward.
Game-changing
Genre-defying
A breath of fresh air
______ put on a killer/awesome live show
Reinventing the wheel/genre
world-class musicianship
Taking _____ to the next level
Modern icon(s)
Punk rock pioneers
Unleash pure/raw ______ fury
Groundbreaking
Innovative
On the cutting edge
Unprecedented
Jaw-dropping
Viral hit/sensation
Pushing the limits
A change of pace
Stepping/stepped it up
We’re certain there are many more words and phrases that could be added to this list. If you think of any we missed comment below and we’ll update the post! Be sure to follow Haulix on Twitter to ensure you never miss another update, announcement, or blog.
It’s Tuesday once again, which means it’s time to continue our ongoing series highlighting the best and brightest behind today’s online music scene.
Hailing from the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Angela Mastrogiacomo has spent the last few years carving a niche in the music industry by developing the news and opinion outlet Infectious Magazine. Covering everything from rock to pop with a variety of columns and video features, Angela has single-handedly built a blossoming entertainment empire with Infectious that continues to grow with each passing week. Her love for music and passion for writing is only matched by her creativity, and as we learn in our exclusive interview, she has her eyes set on big things in the months ahead.
Read on to discover Angela’s history music, the uniqueness of Infectious, and how this twenty-something plans to turn her hobby into a career by unveiling a new component to her master plan. If you want to see some of Angela’s work, be sure to visit Infectious Magazine and follow the site on Twitter.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
My name is Angela. I am the founder/editor of InfectiousMagazine.com. I run and oversee daily operations at InfectiousMagazine.com
H: You are the first female we have featured in our Blogger profiles. What inspired you to begin writing in the first place?
That’s awesome! I first began writing when I was about 6, with a collection of short stories aimed at children. Eventually, that grew into creative fiction, and then once I began the magazine, feature writing (though I still dabble in creative). It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly inspired me—I hate to use the cliché that it helps you work out your emotions, but it’s an incredibly useful outlet, and whenever I’m writing, there’s a sense of calm and accomplishment.
H: Once you realized you wanted to write, how did you know music was the type of content you wanted to cover?
To be honest, this was completely serendipitous. I’ve always wanted to make writing an integral part of my life, but it had a tendency to be more fiction based. After happening across a local band (The Coming Weak) opening for a national act, I was instantly awe-struck. I believe there are instances in life where we will, for whatever reason be drawn to and inspired by certain people and instances, which will end up shaping our life. For me, this was it. I felt so compelled to interview them, review their album, and just do anything I could to get their name out there. This was the birth of Infectious and there was no looking back.
H: Infectious is one of many sites that covers the alternative, or as some say “Warped Tour” music scene. What do you think sets your site and its content apart from others covering the same talent?
I think every site has a selling point in a sense, and I think ours is the interviews we do. Anyone can bring news, but it’s those features (columns, contests, etc) that make a site stand apart. I like to think that in addition to being reliable, and quick to bring our readers the news, we offer a unique perspective in our interviews, with unique, interesting questions. I also like to think that the passion oozing from each and every one of our staff members comes through. We live and breathe Infectious, and it is always on our minds. I believe it makes a difference.
H: Speaking of the world’s largest and wildest traveling festival, do you have plans to cover Warped Tour 2013? If so, who do you look forward to covering?
We do! We’ve covered Warped’s Boston date for the last three years and each year is just such an honor. The entire week or two surrounding the festival date are the most chaotic and fun of the entire year. We have been able to cover some really amazing people in the last few years, and I know this year will be no different. From a personal perspective, I’m really looking forward to Middle Finger Salute, The Exposed, The Swellers, The Tower & The Fool and Action Item.
H: I noticed you have a large amount of video content on Infectious. How do you find readers respond to interview videos as opposed to those posted in text form?
Absolutely. I think in one sense, being on YouTube brings with it a lot of competition, but in another, we’ve found the response to be really positive. The thing with video interviews is that they bring a lot of life and perspective into things. Text is easily misinterpreted, but when you can see your favorite band, watch their emotions and perspectives play out in real time, it’s a truly interesting experience (I think!).
H: When it comes to writing and featuring new bands, what do you look for talent wise?
The thing is, talent and taste is so subjective, and I think it’s important to be aware of that. What I look for most, is passion and drive.
H: Let’s say a band wants to contact you about featuring their music on your site. What advice would you offer bands to help themselves stand out for from the others vying for your attention?
This is an excellent question. If you personalize your email, I am MUCH more likely to take notice and want to work with you. This sort of circles back to the last question, but I’d much rather work with a band that is just starting out and full of passion, drive, and ambition, than a band who may have a larger following but is just totally complacent and only interested in putting in minimal effort.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
Haulix is by far one of the best services for review and feature consideration. It’s incredibly simple, customizable and best of all, it really does help protect against leaks, which I think we can all agree is an industry sigh of relief.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Ah, this is a tough one! There’s so much I’d want to do, but it all comes back to passion. It’s so cutthroat, and I think that passion and talent gets buried under money and greed much of the time.
H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what Infectious Magazine has planned for the remainder of 2013?
Definitely, thanks for asking! In addition to continuing to bring you loads of content and contests, and expand the magazine side of things, we’re just launching a public relations side as well, and currently taking on new clients. You can find out more about that here:
For our latest spotlight we’re headed across the Atlantic Ocean for a conversation with someone who has been involved in a number of influential music sites. Sean Reid cut his teeth developing AlterThePress in the early days of his writing career. In time, Reid networked his way into a position writing the UK News Roundup for the team at Absolutepunk. After years refining his work with both these efforts, Reid realized he had bigger vision, and not longer after Already Heard was born.
Putting the talent in the UK first, Already Heard has built a reputation for in depth news coverage that matches sites who have existed far longer. Reid has taken the lessons learned from his years working with other people’s projects and created an outlet that stands apart in a scene flooded with familiarity. Being the first UK blogger to appear on our site, we could not be more excited to share how the international music community engages with our product and the labels who choose to use it. If you would like to know more about Sean’s work, Like Already Heard on Facebook or follow the site on Twitter.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
S: I’m Sean Reid and I am the Founder and Senior Editor for an Alternative music website called Already Heard, which is based in the United Kingdom.
H: You have been blogging about music for a few years now. Where did you get your start, and how did Already Heard come into existence?
S: I started writing/blogging about music in August 2008 when I joined a site called Alter The Press. I parted ways with that site after three years. I then took a slight step back for a few months. During this time I wrote for a few sites; Under The Gun Review, Rock Louder and Stencil Magazine.
I guess Already Heard started in late 2011 under the name of Play Crack The Sky Music. I missed the day in, day out interaction of running a site, communicating with bands, labels and PR groups so I started PCTS with help from a friend (Mikey Brown) as a tester to see if I could do something by myself. After a few months we put that on hiatus and relaunched in April 2012 as Already Heard. Since then we’ve had multiple writers and photographers join the team, resulting in a constant growth of the site.
H: There are a number of sites trying to become the next top alternative music community. What do you think separates Already Heard from the competition?
S: For starters we put a strong emphasis on UK-only news. Speaking from experience theres far too many sites covering the same news which is mostly US-heavy. I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve opened up my Google Reader feed and seen the same story from multiple sites, multiple times. In my opinion there are far too many news-centric sites.
On top of that, we all contribute to the site alongside full-time jobs/study, so we prefer to use our time more wisely by creating original content that you’re not going to see elsewhere.
From the start of Already Heard, I wanted the focus to be on original content, and even though its taken sometime to get there, I feel we’re now at a stage where we are heading in the right direction.
H: Though you cover a number of artists around the globe, you pay special attention to artists hailing from the UK. Any particular reason for this decision?
S: We’re a UK site, all but one of our team live in the UK. Of course that limits us in terms of growing the site, we box ourselves by restricting what content is posted especially when it comes to news. However we the array of reviews, live photos, and features we produce, we’re able to cater to overseas bands.
H: Speaking of discovering new music, you feature a number of emerging artists on Already Heard. As a tastemaker yourself, where do you go to discover new talent?
S: I live in a small town and I can’t drive so I rarely go to shows to check out new bands, so most new music is through the internet. Some of its through recommendations on social media, some from bands directly contacting the site or through Pubic Relations.
H: Let’s say an artist wants to be featured on Already Heard. What advice would you offer that inspiring group or individual to help them stand out from the others hoping to make your news feed?
S: First of all I would say research the site/publication you’re contacting. There has been countless times when I’ve received an email from a band or artist where you can clearly tell they’ve not researched our site. In terms of our site, if I quickly read over your email and you describe yourself as a Rapper or an electro artist or whatever, its highly unlikely you’ll be featured on the site. I think mentioning a band or genre that your site covers often is useful and is more likely to grab my attention.
Secondly I would advise to make sure your presentation is right. For example don’t send an email with just a link to your Soundcloud or Facebook with no information, it’ll be ignored. Also things like correct spelling and grammar go a long way, if your email is full of mistakes and poorly presented, it doesn’t make a good first impression.
I would also ask to keep it simple yet informative.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
S: In terms of streaming, Soundcloud is very reliable and user friendly. Of course there is Haulix who are equally as reliable and user friendly, both for streaming and downloading. It just looks good and has everything you need on one page; the music to hear, the necessary band and album info, as well as images and videos. Its pretty faultless.
Bandcamp and Dropbox also have there advantages but they’re not perfect. The former is a simple audio player with artwork whist Dropbox can sometimes be problematic.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
S: Just one? I guess album leaks would be one thing I would change. I find digital advances are sometimes given out too freely, resulting in the album being leaked hours later. I guess the industry needs to some how be made more strict and secure when it comes to advance releases.
H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what Already Heard has planned for the remainder of 2013?
S: We’re still a young site but over the coming months we aim on putting more emphasis on our original features and content; developing new ideas and expanding current ones. Our main goal is just to keep growing as a site and by getting the name ‘Already Heard’ out there and recognized. I’ll admit its difficult when there seems to be new sites popping up every week, but the Already Heard team and myself are confident enough we have the right content to stand out from the crowd.
Social media has developed countless ways for artists to promote themselves, but along the way a number of bad habits have developed that drives journalists, fans, and labels alike absolutely insane. Using improper marketing techniques over these channels can not only drive away fans, but prevent you from reaching potential new listeners as well. We polled over a dozen bloggers from various genres about the social media no-nos every artist should avoid and put together a list to help all you aspiring stars get a bit closer to your dreams.
1. Stop requiring a “Like” before allowing users to access your music. Even though we asked bloggers from a number of musical backgrounds when working on this article, every single person polled mentioned Facebook “Like” walls within the first few lines of their response. The whole point of promoting your music is so people will visit your page and hear what it is you have been working on, so why make it any more difficult to hold their attention than it already is? The few seconds it takes someone to notice your “Like” wall and read it may be all the time they need to decide you aren’t worth their time.
2. Avoid unsolicited direct/private messaging (AKA Spammer No spamming). Everyone knows you’re excited about your music, and for the most part people will give you a bit of their time to share your excitement with them. However, sending direct/private messages through social networks is not the way to begin the conversation. Your band may be a group of people, but online you’re a single entity that is essentially a complete stranger to anyone unfamiliar with your music. You have to break the ice to start the conversation, of course, but to do so requires more tact that blindly messaging a link to your latest release. Social networks are like mixers, they exist to create a sense of community among strangers through dialogue, but that is not the same as pitching yourself. Leave the pitching to emails and press kits unless someone asks for more information. Until then, join the conversation wherever you are able and keep an eye out for opportunities more fitting for self-promotion (ie people requesting/asking for new music recommendations).
3. Your band does not belong on LinkedIn. This one is relatively simple, but it can be apply to a number of emerging social networking sites. While there are a limitless amount of opportunities to meet people who could help your career through various groups and discussion boards, LinkedIn works best as a tool when used by an individual (or an individual representing a group). Professionals using LinkedIn are not looking to add your band, The River Run Blood Red, to their networks, but they may be interested in engaging with you as an individual. If you can create a dialogue with them through the site by leveraging the various messaging tools, then it may be possible to open a door to promote your band. If you rush it, or try to force your music on those unfamiliar with your work, no one will want to listen.
4. Stop promoting yourself 24/7. Bands are a brand in their own way, and just like many brands on social networks bands often forget the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your network: Engagement. People follow you because they support what you’re doing and want to know more, but that does not mean they want a constant stream of advertising for whatever you have to promote. You may be a group, but you’re also individuals with personalities, and that should be conveyed through social media as well as your latest activities. Fans know about your latest album, and they certainly follow because they want to know when you have new tours or releases, but they’re also trying to learn more about you as people. They want to connect with you more than they have been able to through albums and live shows, and that is the exact opportunity provided by social networks. By engaging them you’re able to create a dialogue that can eventually evolve into a digital community of fans who not only communicate with you, but others as well. If you can accomplish that, those same users you engaged in the beginning will aide you in sharing your music with others. That will lead them to start conversations with new people who could potentially fall in love with your music and the cycle begins all over again.
5. Save the drama for your blog. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and without a doubt there will be days when you feel stressed as a band, but ranting on social networks and/or attacking others is not going to help further your career (especially if those attacks are directed at fans or members of the industry). Just like how LinkedIn is no place for a band profile, band accounts on social networking sites are no place for unnecessary drama. Fans want to know what’s going on with you, and you should keep them informed, but too much drama can take the focus away from music. Also, you must always be aware of how your accounts appear to those not familiar with your work. If your feed looks more like an individual’s thoughts than the efforts of a cohesive band focused on getting ahead, people may pass by without even giving the music a chance. Appearing driven and welcoming will get you much further than anger and negativity. Always.
As you may have noticed, our blog has undergone some changes since our last update. We are always striving to better serve the music industry and make our content more available to those in need, so we decided Tumblr would be the perfect place to share our latest news and insight with all of you.
Our goal with this page is to not only further the Haulix name, but to aide in the creation of a more productive and informed music industry. If you have any questions about products, blogs, or how you can setup a demo of our promo tools, send us a question on here or email james@haulix.com.
Continuing our ongoing feature highlighting the people behind the industry’s best sites and zines, today we are excited to unveil a new interview with Gun Shy Assassin founder Chris Harris. Chris has a long history in journalism, both in music and out, and has been doing a number of interesting things with his site in recent months. Through editorialized reporting, which often leaves us laughing at our desks, Harris and his team have carved a unique niche in the heavy music world that continues to propel them to further up the reporting hierarchy. You can learn about the man behind GSA, as well as the advice he has for those hoping to make it in metal, below.
After you read our interview, be sure to stop by Gun Shy Assassin to see and read Chris’ work. We also encourage you to Like GSA on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
C: My name is Chris Harris, and I am the founder and CEO of GunShyAssassin.com, a three-year-old metal site named after a line in a Pig Destroyer song; bonus points if you know the tune.
H: You have worked in music journalism for a number of years. What first inspired you to enter this career field?
C: I’d say I’m a journalist first, a music journalist second – only because the depth of my experience is not limited to one field of journalism alone. I have written for a number of national publications and organizations, doing hard-hittin investigative pieces and fluff stories on pop stars. My love of music first drew me in, and it is now my passion for it that keeps trying to push me back out.
H: They say the first album a person falls in love with represents the genre they will follow later in life. What was the first album you truly connected with?
C: "They" don’t know shit. Because Jane’s Addiction’s “Nothing’s Shocking” led to my liking Swedish black metal.
H: There are an ever-growing number of metal websites in existence that offers news comparable to GSA. What is it about your content that sets GSA apart from the rest?
C: Honesty. At the end of the day, we’re one of the only metal sites that’ll actually call it like it is, without of fear of reprisal. We’ll desescrate sacred cows, we’ll pick apart bands people hail as important, and we deliver honest commentary from some of metal’s heaviest thinkers, including Early Graves frontman John Strachan, Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, Revocation’s Dave Davidson, Mark Hunter of Chimaira, Brian Fair of Shadows Fall, and Tim Williams, frontman for Vision of Disorder. With our guest column series, we’ve become something of a hotbed for metal musicians who aspire to write.
H: You have featured a number of indie/unsigned bands on GSA. What are your sources for music discovery?
C: Of course. Most contact us, but we run a weekly feature on unsigned bands who just happen to be readers, too. Sometimes, we come across gems in the rough, But that’s only sometimes.
H: What advice would you offer to bands and artists hoping to appear on GSA in the future?
C: Be smart and play your ass off.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
C: Haulix is pretty solid.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
C: The rampant favoritism that seems to pervade.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what GSA has planned for the remainder of 2013?
C: More guest columns, more sarcastic criticism, more contests, more reviews, more interviews, and more exclusives. Also, we’ll have more updates from Chris Adler of Lamb of God, the focus of a casual series of interviews you’ll find only on GSA.
Today we are excited to be debuting a new recurring feature on the Haulix company blog that will highlight the faces behind the industry’s most popular news outlets. If you are a writer who would like to be featured in an upcoming column, please email james@haulix.com at your earliest convenience.
On November 7, 2009 Zack Zarrillo was a high schooler with a passion for music and an interest in all things internet. The next day he took the first step toward what has quickly become a full time industry career by launching his own music news source, PropetyOfZack.com. Covering the punk and alternative community, POZ quickly gained notoriety for its original columns and high quality video content. In 2012 PropertyOfZack joined the SpinMedia family as part of AbsoluteVoices and the rest, as they say, is history in the making.
We recently spoke with Zack about the early days of POZ, discovering new music, and what he thinks the future holds for himself and the rest of the music industry. You can read our conversation below. If you would like to learn more about zack, visit POZ or follow him on Twitter.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
Z: I run PropertyOfZack, a website I founded and created in 2009. My every day duties are to make the site run in the ways a viewer sees it and to lead our team into getting and creating great content. It keeps me pretty busy.
H: What inspired you to start your own music blog? Did you go to school for writing or journalism?
Z: PropertyOfZack was started by accident. It slowly morphed into what it is now, and I’d say it really took a solid six or more months before I even truly realized what I hand in my hands with my team. I’m currently finishing my sophomore year in college and I’m in a music industry program. I don’t and probably won’t take any journalist or writing classes. I don’t consider myself a journalist.
H: Many sites out there cover the punk/alternative community featured on POZ. What would you say sets your site apart from the rest?
Z: I’d say there are four other sites that are similar in size and reach as PropertyOfZack. We seem to be a little more niche. We’re more strict about bands we cover, and we have a wide, but specific range of features too. We love giving bands a voice on our site, and our viewers love it too.
H: You feature a lot of indie/unsigned artists on your website. What your sources for music discovery?
Z: I just pay attention. If there’s buzz or enough people recommend something to me, I’ll listen most the time. We also take submissions for Showcases, and that’s a great way to find new bands. We covered many more small bands in our beginnings, but slowly transitioned away from that due to demand. About two years ago we brought out Showcase to help smaller bands as best we could. It’s been a success.
H: Let’s say a band wants to contact you about featuring their music on your site. What advice would you offer bands to help themselves stand out for from the others vying for your attention?
Z: Sending large paragraphs worth of information to me is rarely going to work. Spelling my name wrong is bad. Spelling my website name wrong is equally puzzling and not so good. Be straight forward, get to the point, and sell me on something. We like posting about bands – it’s better for the site in general. Just make it easy.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
Z: Haulix is my favorite advance listening website. Major labels use horribly outdated and painful services that are so frustrating I tend to give up on bothering listening to the music. Haulix is trustworthy and reliable. Props to Haulix.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Z: I wish it was a little easier for those who work as hard as they do to be more financially successful. I hope one day that changes.
H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what PropertyOfZack has planned for the remainder of 2013?
Z: We just launched a new studio feature called Love Sessions. We’re releasing pilot episodes this summer and will be diving into season one in the fall. It’s going to be a great feature for us and our future. What else? Much more graphic design avenues will be seen on the site. We’re also going to have an overhauled design up.
It’s no great secret that the competition for the attention of bloggers and label reps is tougher than ever these days. The digital age has made connecting with these individuals easier for everyone, and in doing so made it more difficult than ever to get noticed. We asked a panel of journalists from a variety of musical backgrounds what tips they would offer artists/bands hoping to email them pitch letters, and below you will find the top 5 responses we received. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for additional tips on getting noticed and be sure to follow us on Twitter to ensure you never miss an update.
1. Grammar. Grammar. Grammar. This may seem like an obvious response, but it’s probably the most important tip we can offer. Every single journalist we approached for this article admitted to deleting and, in some cases, never reading pitch letters with grammatical errors. The pitch is an introduction of yourself and your art, but it’s also the first example of your business acumen and attention to detail that others will encounter. You only get one chance, so be sure it’s delivered void of any avoidable errors.
2. Keep it simple. Journalists know you’re excited about your music and want to share every detail about your efforts up front, but they’re also aware of the thousands of similarly anxious and excited musicians hoping for their break that have or will contact them as well. Avoid being lumped in with those that over-embellish by refining your letter to be simple and to the point. Phrases like “here’s a much needed breath of fresh air” and “I’m sure you get this all the time…” should be cut immediately, along with any band history stretching more than 3 sentences. This letter is a handshake and a hello, not an in-depth discussion about your history as an artist. You want to intrigue writers, not bore them.
3. CDs are dead. Long live high quality digital servicing. Though some may argue their place in retail, most music journalists prefer music be submitted for consideration through digital means rather than physical. Packaging is nice, but digital is faster, easier, and requires less postage. That said, journalists are also not fans of music sharing services that come coupled with walls of advertisements. You don’t want journalists thinking about whatever pop up ads appear while trying to hear your music, you want them thinking about you and the brand you are trying to market. Haulix allows artists to create personalized pages for their music that offer high quality streaming and watermarked downloads, as well as in depth analytics to help track overall engagement.
4. Avoid impossible/unknown comparisons. One trick many artists you to quicken the introduction process with journalists is to compare their work to musicians that may be more recognizable. While many of the writers we spoke with agreed that this is a helpful tactic, it can lead to disinterest if the artists name are too famous, vague, or (on the opposite end) unknown to the journalist. If you’re going to use comparisons, we suggest researching the artists each writer covers and reworking your name drops to coincide more closely with their tastes.
5. Be specific. When writing a pitch letter, make sure you have something to promote and that your letter only promotes that thing. Journalists want new music that is actually new, not just unknown to the masses. If more than a few months have passed since your last EP or album, don’t send a pitch letter unless you have a tour, video, or additional major media item to promote. Bloggers are not interested in six month old albums unless it’s attached to whatever new thing it is you’re trying to promote. Sell them on what is new first. If response is strong, then you can approach about cover more/older material.
Hello, everyone. My name is James and I am the newest member of the Haulix team. In the coming weeks I will be rolling out a slew of new blog content, as well as manning our various social networks. Before we get into that, however, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself.
My background in music started when I first heard Blink-182’s ‘Enema Of The State’ back in 1999. From that day forward I dedicated my life to promoting music and the supporting the musicians behind it. This life choice lead me to work in booking, tour promotion, radio, blogging, social media, management, and beyond. Now I have joined the Haulix team to help further our social presence, and I could not be more excited to get started.
So what lies ahead? A lot. We plan to bring you relevant and engaging content regularly starting this week, and we’re planning more features for the future.
**This is part of a series of interviews that showcase Haulix customers who successfully use digital promos in their day to day operations.**
Earsplit PR, an independent publicity collective, was spawned accidentally back in 1999 when founding tag team Liz Ciavarella and Dave Brenner worked at Nuclear Blast Records together. What started as a side gig to help promote bands that deserved more recognition turned into a full-fledged husband and wife business venture that represents some of metal’s top tier bands. The company specializes in extreme metal marketing/promotions and helps get bands and their music/tours noticed by consumers both stateside and abroad.
When asked how many artists and what genres of music they deal with, Earsplit had this to say, “Our roster is forever expanding/morphing. We’re always working several dozen highly active bands at any one time. Right now we have over 200 clients; some are active touring bands, others are lower-key studio-type projects (others are simply working on new records and temporarily dormant). We interact with an incredible array of musicians, managers and label folks over the course of a day. EarsplitPR focuses predominantly on the metal realm and other forms of heavy music; everything from classic heavy metal to lo-fi cult black metal, American and Swedish death metal bands who’ve been active for 20-30 years, brand new indie acts, experimental/genre-bending scene forerunners and anything in between.”
When it comes to a typical work day, “[It’s] long and hectic. It’s generally an endless stream of email, phone calls and various forms of communication between labels, bands, management companies and writers. Press releases are written, interviews are scheduled, reviews are logged, speakers are blown… it’s always an adventure at the Earsplit Compound. There’s never a moment where something doesn’t need to be done."
We asked how strong of an impact written buzz from the media is, before an album is released. "It is one of many factors that go into building an album for release, and definitely an important one. With the incessant flood of music available to metalheads, and music fans in general, these days, it’s integral that a band stay in the spotlight.”
Digital promos were always meant to decrease or eliminate the costs that traditionally came with mailing out physical discs. Earsplit added, “While physical product is always a treat, it’s generally not cost effective to mail 300 – 400 CDs any more nor do you get the same response. Promoting records digitally allows us to reach a far wider audience." Since going digital, their job has literally changed. "Our rates are far more affordable now that manufacturing and mailing costs have generally been eliminated from the equation. A single package containing two CDs to Europe can cost up to $7 each; that adds up quickly when you’re trying to hit even just a handful of editors and writers.”
Has watermarking proved to be a sufficient defense against early leaking? Earsplit responded, “While watermarking isn’t on its own a foolproof method in preventing leaks, it is a major deterrent. On the rare occasion we’ve had a track leak via Haulix, the staff was very on point and immediately traced it to the leaking party.”
In conclusion, we were eager to hear their take on where the music industry is headed, as well as their advice for anyone considering moving to a digital promotion strategy. “Like anything else in life, change is imminent. We are not a record label, but speaking from our perspective — as fans and as publicists —the digital market is definitely taking over. That however doesn’t mean the death of the music industry. It just means a need for different sales strategies. Bands are touring more; they’re selling more merch. Diehard fans are buying vinyl again and though more and more folks are purchasing the digital release, there will always be fans — and we think this goes for metalheads in particular who are generally more “collector” prone — who appreciate packaging and the sheer excitement of buying a new CD. There are also more properly-promoted indie labels sprouting up and selling more product than ever. [This] creates a bit of a "middle class” in the record sales market, rather than a band being either a major act or an unknown band.“ They continued, ”[As far as their experience moving to digital promotions] just what we said earlier: [benefits are] cost effectiveness, a farther reach and the security in Haulix’ watermark capabilities has really helped us in all our promoting endeavors.“
